The Truth About The Bachelor's Ryan Claytor

It's time for a shakeup on Matt James' season of The Bachelor. The long-running ABC reality series is introducing five new contestants in Season 25, and the preview for the season looks intense. "Everything is about to change," host Chris Harrison tells Matt ominously. And the appearance of the new ladies — Ryan Claytor, Michelle Young, Kim Li, Catalina Morales, and Brittany Galvin (not to mention former Bachelor contestant Heather Martin) — certainly seems to piss off the original girls.

However, it doesn't look like Ryan is too deterred, at least at the beginning: In fact, as soon as Ryan stepped out of the limo, she showcased her vivacious personality — and her immediate attraction to Matt. "Oh my gosh!" she yelled excitedly, pointing directly at her potential new bae. "You look so fine!"

While viewers already know all about Matt, let's dive deeper into Ryan's life. Will they be a good fit?

No stranger to the spotlight — or the small screen — Ryan Claytor is a dancer on the acclaimed FX series, Pose, she notes in her Instagram bio (in which she also refers to herself as a "Dance Artist"). She also received a scholarship from the highly-regarded Alvin Ailey school of dance.

Her Insta account is peppered with photos of her as a dancer, including a 2019 shot in which she revealed she performed at the famous Lincoln Center in New York City.

" ... I'm so thankful and blessed to have gotten to perform at this years Spirit Gala at Lincoln Center!" she captioned the image of herself outside the theater. "Another year at The Ailey School in the books and it couldn't have ended any better than this! I'm looking forward to embracing a new chapter where I get to embrace new opportunities and explore the dance field as a professional."

According to Women's Health Mag, Ryan Claytor is originally from Mechanicsville, Virginia — and currently splits her time between her home state and New York. In fact, Ryan has so much love for the commonwealth of VA that she attended college there.

As per her Instagram bio, Ryan is an alum of James Madison University, which is just about two hours away from her hometown. At JMU, she was a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, a traditionally Black sorority. 

And as anyone who has ever pledged knows, your sorority sisters are with you for life. In fact, Ryan and her fellow Delta Sigma Theta members recorded a fun video of themselves doing their hair and makeup (wearing their Greek letters, of course) for their "4th Deltaversary." She also shared a photo of herself gleefully throwing up the DST sign with her hands, captioning the image with the sorority's slogan.

Perhaps it's because she spends time in both New York City and her home state of Virginia, but Ryan Claytor's Instagram certainly showcases her love for two vastly different areas.

For one, there are many photos of her at the beach: posing in the sand, clad in a swimsuit; standing on the boardwalk in a glamorous, high-slit gown; lounging on a boat surrounded by cool, cerulean waters. These images are all captioned with similar sentiments that perceive a sense of calm. "Inhale.exhale.," she wrote for one snap. "Relax.refresh.reconnect.," she shared on another. It's clear that she views the sandy shores and restorative water as a place to feel soothed.

There are also tons of photos of her life in the concrete jungle, which is where she seems to find her spark. In these pictures, she's nearly always rocking a sparkly grin, be it on the green grass of Central Park, the subway, in front of the city's famous skyline, or — our personal fave — swinging triumphantly from a streetlight in Times Square ("you know the location," she coyly captioned the image).

While little is known about Ryan Claytor's romantic past or what she's looking for in a partner, we already know that she and Bachelor Matt James have some important things in common. For one, they both hail from the south (Matt is from North Carolina, while Ryan is from Virginia). Ryan has also spent time in The Tar Heel State, visiting both beaches and lakes, as seen on her Instagram. Most importantly, they currently live in the same location: New York City. So, not only do they share similar backgrounds, but, looking toward the future, it seems like they wouldn't have to argue about where to live.

The two also seem to have sports as a common interest. While Ryan is a professional dancer, Matt dabbles in pretty much everything: Surfing, basketball, skateboarding. They both know how to keep in shape, and — based on Matt's abs alone — looks like fitness is a real priority for them.

Matt and Ryan can also connect on a deeper level, as they are both Black and intimately know both the struggles and empowerment that comes with it. They have both been vocal about Black Lives Matter, proving that they are also activists who share an important mission.

As to whether or not Ryan and Matt will end up together, it looks like we'll just have to wait!